A couple of students at Penn State University are hell bent and determined to protect Joe Paterno's legacy, and that's why they have started a vigil to protect the famous Joe Paterno statue on campus from being vandalized or taken down.
The two students, who are both seniors, Mike Elliot and Kevin Berkon, became worried after a plane flew over Penn State earlier this week with a banner that read, "Take the statue down or we will."
And I can't help but wonder if either of these guys realizes exactly what they're doing, because by protecting that statue, they are basically excusing the fact that Joe Paterno did absolutely nothing to help those poor boys who were abused by Sandusky.
Paterno could've reported Sandusky's actions to police if he really wanted to, but he cared more about the reputation of his beloved football team than he did about innocent children who were forced to suffer through unimaginable abuse from a man they should've been able to trust.
Doesn't it seem ironic that these students are so eager to protect that statue of Joe Paterno, when he obviously had zero interest in protecting the real life human victims who were raped over and over again?
If anything, they should be ashamed and embarrassed by everything that statue represents, and should be leading the call for it to be removed from the campus. As long as it remains, Penn State will never be able to come out from under the Sandusky black cloud that is sure to hover over the school for many years to come.
But maybe if the victims are showed the respect they deserve and Paterno's lack of action is acknowledged by the removal of the statue, Penn State can somehow manage to salvage a small part of its reputation.
Check out this video to hear more about whether or not the statue will be removed.
Do you think the Joe Paterno statue should be taken down? Why or why not?
Image via audreyjm529/Flickr
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Comments 13
To you, Paterno seems like a selfish monster who enabled a child molester, but to some students at Penn State and most likely to the football team, Paterno was a brilliant coach. No matter what Paterno's subordinates did, no one can take the fact that he was a brilliant coach away from him. Paterno is an important piece of Penn State and college football history, which I think should remain separate from the contents of his character. The statue should stay.
take it down of course, since when is football more important than the horrific acts of molesting children. who cares that he was a great coach.
Of course it should be taken down.
It should be taken down b/c it will forever be tainted and draw more hate than good. As to the two defending the statue, they aren't defending child molestation. They are misguided youths who see a man who they most likely worshipped being attacked after his death and are trying to show that while he f*cked up majorly, it does not erase everything else he did...though most feel it does erase all he did in the past for football, but you all need to understand, PSU lives and breathes football. It's not that shocking. What is shocking, to me, is it's only 2 people. I imagined more would step out and do this. I've family who went to PSU and who feel personally betrayed by this man, and the establishment, but who also exclaim it is very difficult for them to push aside feelings they've had for half a life time b/c of what he did. Yes they are disgusted, but human.